Method of treating cotton-wool.



PATENTBD MAY 9, 1905.

B. F. TAYLOR.

METHOD OF TREATING COTTON WOOL.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 2a. 1901. RENEWED AUG. 25 1904.

' IN EN' "OR w ATTORNEY of treating raw cotton or nrrnin BENJAMINPatented May 9, 1905.

F. TAYLOR, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGJOR TO CHARLES A. COE. OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF TREATIINGI COTTON -WOOL SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 7859,3411,

dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed October 28, 1901. Renewed August 25, 190 Serial No.222,347.

Z?) (all, whom. 112 TIMI/y concern:

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN F. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Method of TreatingCotton- Wool, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method the so-called cotton-wool soas to give increased tenacity or firmness to the staple; and it consistsin coating the fiber or staple of the cotton with carbon deposits, aswill hereinafter be more fully set forth in the following specification.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to theaccom ianying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a view of the outersurface of a strip of raw cotton after treatment. Fig. 2 is a view ofthe surface of a cotton strip before being coated with carbon deposits.Figs. 3 and 4% show the manner of depositing the carbon. Fig. 5 is across-sectional view of a bicycle-tire, showing the carbonaceous cottonutilized as a filling material to afford a protection against punctureof the pneumatic tire, which is only one of the uses for which thecarbonaceous cotton is adapted.

It is well understood that each individual fiber of cotton is hollow,and such fiber contains more or less of water and vegetable oils. Mymethod consists in exposing the cotton-wool to a degree of heatsufficient to convert the evaporative portions of the oil and water intogases, which passing off will leave a carbon deposit or residue withinthe fiber and also on the outer surface of the same if water and oilwere present thereon.

At Fig. 2 is seen a strip of raw cotton before itis treated. It will beobserved thatthe fiber is inclined to be substantially straightnotstraight, however, in the strict sense of the term, as would be the casewith fur, but much straighter than woolen fiber. This cotton strip isheld over a burning substance that is rich in carbon and at a distancetherefrom (see Fig. 3) to be at first only affected by the carbonic-acidgases. The heat will be sufficient to eva1 orate the moisture andtheroughly dry the cotton, and at the same time the carbonic-acid gaseswill carry sufficient carbon to thinly coat or discolor the cottonfibers. After remaining in this elevated position for a few moments toeffect the results just described it is dropped to a lower plane or theburning material is elevated, as the case may be, where the carbon willbe deposited more rapidly. The cotton is thus moved from point to pointuntil it can finally occupy a position (see Fig. 1) that is richest incar bon escaping from the point of combustion, and the carbon at thislast point will of course deposit more rapidly than at any other pointof suspension. it is quite evident that if the cotton in the firstinstance had been placed at the lowest point, as shown at Fig. 4;, itwould ignite and burn up before suilicient carbon had deposited toprotect the fibers against the high temperature at this low point; butby approaching gradually this point of high temperature the fibers arefully protected before they reach such lower position. This carbondeposit will make the cotton fibers tougher and more tenacious; besides,theheat will cause the several hairy fibers to curl up, as shown at Fig.l, and this curling of the fibers will then resemble more nearly a highgrade of sheeps wool.

It is well known that the fibers of raw cotton or cotton-wool whenarranged in sheets offer but little resistance to lateral strains, owingto the fact that the loose straight or comparatively straight fibers donot interlock with each other with the same degree of tenacity as sheepswool. For that reason it cannot be employed exclusively for felting.Therefore it is customary to mix a certain quantity of high-grade sheepswool with the raw cotton in order to secure the proper tenacity. Thecarbonaceous cotton will so increase its tenacious qualities that thesheeps wool can be entirely omitted, thereby reducing the cost of feltwithout interfering with the grade or quality.

Among the many uses for which the carbonaceous cotton can be employed isas an elastic nonpuncturable filler for bicycle-tires, as shown at Fig.1 represents a section of a pneumatic tire having the lower air-chamher2 separated from an upper chamber containing the filling material bymeans of the flexible diaphragm 3. 4C is the carbonaceous cotton fillerplaced in this upper chamber.

This carbonaceous cotton is arranged in a continuous unbroken sheet androlled up, as

shown, filling said chamber and extendingentirely around the tire. Thiscarbonaceous cotton is not only tougher, and thereby harder to puncture,but its resiliency is also increased however it may be placed in thetire whether rolled, as shown, or deposited in layers.

lVhile 1 show and describe a certain process whereby the cotton fibersare impregnated with carbon, this process may, if desired, be varied inorder to secure the same result, for my invention consists, essentially,in subjecting the cotton to heat and carbon deposits thrown off from aburning substance or smudge.

As before mentioned, the first step in my improved method is to subjectthe cotton to a heat suflicient to cause its fibers to curl up orinterlock, the carbonization or depositing of carbon being of course apreferably added step.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The method of treating cotton which consists in subjecting the cottonto a dry heat 2 containing carbon sufiicient to cause the fibers to curland thereby render them more liable I to interlock or intermesh witheach other, for

the purpose set forth.

I l cotton-wool so as to increase its tenacity and resiliency, whichconsists in exposing the cotl ton to the direct action of heat andcoating the same with carbon deposits emanatingfrom the burning matterwhich furnishes the heat, for the purpose set forth. I 3.Theherein-described method for treating l cotton-wool so as to increaseits tenacity and resiliency Which consists in subjecting the cotlton-wool to a heat sufficient to expel the moisture and thus leave itricher in carbon I both on the interior and exterior of thefibers so asto protect againstahigher temperature, i then, increasing thetemperature and quantity of carbonaceous matter until the fibers aresufficiently coated with carbon deposits, substantially as set forth. 4.The method of treating cotton to heat l and carbonaceous matter so as toincrease the l tenacity of its fibers, for the purpose set i forth. lSigned at Bridgeport, in the county of l Fairlield and State ofConnecticut, this th day of September, A.'D. 1901. l BENJAMIN F. TAYLOR.I \Vitnesses: I \V. Y. SEELEY,

A. K. LOVELL.

2. The herein-described method of treating

